When Lisbon’s Plan of Conservation and Development was drafted, it identified space constraints at the fire department and noted the practicality of bringing all the town’s emergency services into one location. That was in 2004.

Arbin said they’ve been trying ever since to put something in motion — and being brushed off by the town’s selectmen.

Whether the town would replace or add on to the new department is still up in the air, but Robinson said adding on may not be as feasible as it sounds. Expanding on the first level is improbable because of the sewage system, and going up would involve raising the roof entirely because the newer ambulance models won’t fit into the existing space, he said.

Sparkman said a cost study is now under way, and Arbin said the town’s engineering consultant was in the firehouse a few months ago, but since then, nothing has happened.

Sparkman said the fire department has yet to come up with a concrete next step and isn’t willing to compromise on its expectations.

“We gave them $10,000 to do a needs assessment, but the fire department has not said they need all of those things” that are identified in the assessment, Sparkman said.

Sparkman said based on today’s market, a fire station three times the size of the existing one would cost about $4.4 million. The cost study under will determine what the town can do to improve the existing fire house and whether it’s feasible to expand the existing building, according to Sparkman.

If it isn’t feasible, the town will have to consider other options.

“The first thing we’d have to do is find a place to put it. If they don’t want it there, than where?” Sparkman said.

The 2004 plan also determined that Town Hall needs more space, and Robinson said he doesn’t understand why, rather than decreasing the mill rate like it did this year, the town didn’t keep taxes level and put money toward its infrastructure needs.

“I’m not trying to make it a political issue so much as an issue of the town making an investment in itself, Robinson said.